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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · straw · racket · court · nail · toast · fan · chair

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. court — for sport
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com